


Tools of the Trade

by demonfire57



Series: The Funtimes (FNAF Sister Location Stories) [3]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Family, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location, Gen, Human(oid) Animatronics (Five Nights at Freddy's), Mentioned Animatronics (Five Nights at Freddy's), Possessed Animatronics (Five Nights at Freddy's), Sentient Animatronics (Five Nights at Freddy's)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25272859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonfire57/pseuds/demonfire57
Summary: As Sterling's recovery comes to an end, a surprise from an old friend reminds her of what to be thankful for.
Series: The Funtimes (FNAF Sister Location Stories) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1803328
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Took me a bit on this one, so sorry about the delay.  
> I will be taking a break from "The Funtimes" to focus on my other story that is still in the works. I will say there will be another short part coming out in December for the holidays.  
> But in the meantime, please enjoy the next part of the series :)

"You're doing phenomenal, Sterling!"

I couldn't help but grin through the sweat as my physical trainer helped me up from the ground.

It had been two weeks ago when the bandages had finally come off, my left stump completely healed. The next part of the healing process was to start my physical therapy. I went in every Monday and Thursday, working on keeping my muscles strong and healthy. It would take a few months, but I had a goal to be able to be strong enough to host Thanksgiving this year. I had already let Halloween slip by, I wasn't going to let another holiday be lost due to my condition.

The physical trainer looked at my charts again, grinning, "You're making great progress, Ster. Doctor Morris will certainly be surprised by how far you've come in such a short time."

"I hope so," I smiled at the trainer, "I have a goal in mind."

"Well, remember Ster, don't over exert yourself. It won't do any good if your arm begins to have complications. It could set you back."

I nodded, understanding.

"I think you've done enough for today, by the looks of things," the trainer set the clipboard aside, "Take the rest of the day off, remember."

"And drink plenty of water."

***

Dad was waiting for me by the entrance, Mom standing beside him.

"This is a nice little surprise," I grinned at seeing them.

"I told Jeremiah to head off to work. Your mother wanted to go out for breakfast, so I figured we'd swing by and pick you up," dad grinned.

I still couldn't drive currently, and even if I could, I would have rather someone come by to take me to my appointments. It helped when Jeremiah was off in the morning and could take me in, or if dad was in the area. Stacy, my older sister, took me in only if she was the only one able.

"So, how's the arm doing?" mom asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"The physical trainer said everything looks good so far," I answered, "I'm a little ahead of where someone would normally be."

"That's good then. You're making progress!"

"I am, but I need to take it easy the rest of the day," I sighed.

"Well, then," mom took my arm, "Let's get you home then."

***

Upon arriving at the farmhouse, I saw a familiar white and pink bear pacing the front steps, making his companion quite weary looking.

"Seems old Funtime's been doing that for a while," my dad commented as we pulled closer.

"And Bon-Bon doesn't look thrilled by it either," I chuckled.

Funtime Freddy and Bon-Bon were two of the animatronics currently living in my farmhouse along with two others, Funtime Foxy and Ballora. The four of them, including Ballora's four little helpers who were known as "Minireenas," once were attractions back when my parents were kids for a company called "Fazbear Entertainment." I had come across them when an old friend of mine, Gerry, had found the pieces for said animatronics in his scrap and salvage yard. He offered them to me for a good price, knowing that at the time I worked with scrap metals to create recycled art. 

However, with my current condition, I really couldn't go down to my workshop, which was in the old barn behind the farmhouse. It was just too dangerous to be around the heavy duty equipment with only one arm, and it made me feel a bit lost every time I looked out to the barn. But, the animatronics that lived within the confines of my home helped make my loss of work a bit easier, helping by taking my mind off my lack of appendage.

"Here we are," my dad watched from the driver's seat as I slipped out from the back seat, closing the door behind before walking to the driver's side.

"Thanks again for the lift, dad," I smiled.

"No problem, Ster," my dad answered.

"Is there anything else we can do for you dear?" mom asked from the passenger seat.

"No, not that I can think of."

"Alright, give us a call if you need something, though."

"Which reminds me. I have to call Gerry regarding that scrap junk that's still sitting out in my barn."

"Do you want us to call him for you?"

"No, I need to explain the circumstances as to why I haven't talked to him since the incident."

I could see my parents nod solemnly.

There had been one animatronic that the others had been solely afraid of, as she was the one who caused them to all go "rogue." Ballora had described the sensation as being locked inside a glass box, unable to control anything around you but witnessing and feeling everything. The animatronic, whom the others called "Circus Baby," had been rebuilt by another unknown mechanic and set loose on my family unintentionally. I was able to stop her by removing her power core, which had resulted in severe nerve and muscle damage in my left arm. 

Currently, the pieces of Circus Baby were still together, but I kept the power core locked in a box under my bed in the house. I was determined to destroy the animatronic as soon as I could, but without my ability to drive anywhere, I would need to call up the very man who sold the Funtimes to me.

"Well, make sure that you do," my father warned me, "I'd rather not have to hear about another issue regarding those animatronics of yours from your brother."

"You got it dad," I smiled, "I'll take care of getting rid of Baby like I promised."

"Alright, just be careful."

I nodded, stepping back as my parents backed out of the drive and back onto the road.

"Th/They d/didn't even s/say hi t/to B/Ballora," Funtime's voice suddenly appeared behind me.

"Funtime!" I gasped, dropping my bag and clutching my heart, "I know you walk quietly, but could you at least give me a warning before you sneak up on me like that?"

"S/Sorry S/Ster," the bear's ear folded back as Bon snickered from his spot on the animatronic's left hand.

***

_ "Why can't ya just swing by and drop them off?"  _ Gerry's voice spoke on the other end of the phone,  _ "I'm sure the boys would at least be able to help unload the scraps and crush them up." _

"The problem is the doctors don't want me driving," I tried to explain, watching as Ballora moved about the kitchen as she prepared lunch, "Besides, if I could drive, I'd have no idea how I would get the parts into the back of the truck."

_ "Don't ya still have that big pink and white bear hanging around?" _

"Funtime? Yeah, he's still around but he's without a left hand."

I could hear scratching before Gerry answered,  _ "Huh. Thought he had a left hand..." _

"Bon sits on where his left hand would be. I was working on creating them additional parts when the birthday catastrophe happened."

_ "Ah... okay. Give me a sec." _

I waited, listening as a chair squeaked under Gerry's weight. Paper was shuffling around before he spoke again,  _ "I can come by tomorrow morning. If yer animatronics can help at least load the scraps onto the back of my truck, I can give ya a percentage off for towing." _

"Tell you what. You tow the whole thing and don't pay me for the parts, we'll make it quick and even. Deal?"

Gerry's laughter broke through the phone,  _ "Alright, girlie. Ya got yerself a deal." _

"Thanks again, Gerry. I owe you one."

_ "I'll take that as an invite to Thanksgivin' this year, if ya still hosting it of course." _

"That's the goal," I smiled, "I hope to be mostly, if not fully healed, by the end of this month. Keep my goal in your prayers."

_ "Will do. Also, it's nice hearing ya again, Ster. To be honest, my wife wanted to rip my hide in two because of everythin' that's been goin' on." _

I laughed this time, "I can only imagine. She's a keeper."

_ "Always was. Now, I've gotta get back to the piles. I'll see ya bright an' early tomorrow mornin', alright?" _

"Sure thing. Thanks again, Gerry."

I hang up the phone as Ballora places my plate of food in front of me, "Your friend swinging by tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I've decided to have Circus Baby crushed," I replied, "It would be best for all of us once she's gone and out of the picture."

Ballora nodded, "It will be a nice fresh intake of air once she's gone. We won't need to worry about our glitch anymore."

"I'll still find a way to fix it, Ballora. I made a promise I would."

Ballora placed a hand on my shoulder, her smile burning bright, "We believe you, but don't try anything today. We need you right now, much more than you think."


	2. Chapter 2

Tires pulled into the drive bright and early the following morning. The sun was peeking up just beyond the horizon, a memo to the world that it would soon be winter. All the leaves had nearly fallen, a few clung to the branches.

I stood out on the front steps dressed for the cold morning, a cup of hot apple cider in my good hand to keep the chill at bay. Funtime and Foxy were perched outside, which surprised me with lack of warm clothes. I knew that would change in the coming months, once January hit, the temperature would drop into the negatives - causing problems with the animatronic bodies if they weren't careful.

The scrap company's truck came to a halt, Gerry jumping out with a spring in his step and a smile on his wrinkled face.

"Sterling!" I grinned widely as he came up and embraced me in a warm forgiving hug.

"Hey, Gerry," I pulled back, looking up at him, "Thanks again for coming by."

"Not a problem, kiddo. Besides, the missus wanted to know how you were doing."

"You tell your wife that all is good here."

Gerry chuckled, "Alright then, let's get those parts loaded up."

***

Foxy and Funtime both worked quickly, moving at a speedy pace to load the scraps of Circus Baby into the back of Gerry's truck. The two of us watched from the back as the robotics moved, both of us equally surprised by their movements.

"Quite a group of boys, ya got here, huh?" Gerry commented, taking a sip from the coffee Ballora had provided him.

"Foxy is gender-fluid," I corrected, "but, yes, they all have been very helpful around here the past couple of weeks. I'm honestly glad that I decided to keep them."

"What do yer folks think about the whole ordeal? Last I heard, yer brother was beginning to accept them inta the household."

"While I was in the hospital," I explained, "the animatronics were on their own here. Jeremiah, mom, and dad came by every other day to keep an eye on them as well as grow accustomed to them. My parents, in a way, 'adopted' them."

"And yer sister?"

"Stacy?" I laughed, "Oh, she, Maybelle, and Lex just love 'em! Maybelle's specifically attached to Ballora. I'm hoping that she'll learn a thing or two from the ballerina and her helpers."

"Well, everyone needs a positive influence," Gerry turned toward me then, his face turning serious, "I also heard ya had an operation while ya were in the hospital. When I hugged ya this morning, I noticed a lack of arm. Everythin' alright?"

I sighed, "The other reason why I want to destroy Circus Baby is because of what happened at my sister's. I take it Jeremiah at least told you about what happened?"

"To an extent. Couldn't get too much out of 'im cause he was blubbering like a fool."

I shook my head before explaining, "My arm got trapped by Baby's scooping mechanism that was a part of her core while I was trying to pull the plug on her, so to say. It caused severe muscle damage, but what caused me to loose movement in my arm was the electro-shock I received while removing Baby's power core."

Gerry's teeth gritted, his face almost similar to Funtime's when he first saw my lack of arm.

I continued, setting my cup aside and rubbing the shoulder of my left stump. "I had it amputated..."

"Ya were lucky ya didn't die," Gerry growled.

"I know."

Gerry was quiet. I watched, wondering if I was going to get a scolding from the older gentleman before he turned back to me, "Are they going give ya a prosthetic?"

"They'll fit me one once I'm strong enough. I need to rebuild my strength before they do anything."

Gerry nodded, "Can't have a good artist lose one of her most valuable tools of the trade, can we?" 

I shook my head.

***

October passed over, flowing like a river smoothly into November.

My physical therapy was a proven success, the doctors were just as surprised as I was about how quickly I recovered. I had mostly Ballora to thank for keeping on top of things while I was on the mend. On my last day of therapy, I treated myself to a well deserved cup of coffee that I missed enjoying during my recovery process.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I made plans with my family with the intention of inviting them for a well needed family get together. They all agreed to bring a platter of food with them, as it would be a lot less stressed placed on my finally healed body. All I needed to do was provide the dishes and places to be seated. This would also be the first Thanksgiving having the animatronics in the house with us, so I was thankful that the house was big enough for all of us.

Funtime and Bon helped with getting the table out and ready, Ballora worked in the kitchen with the Minireenas as they prepared a large turkey for all of us to enjoy, and Foxy watched the front with me, waiting for our guests to arrive.

As each member came into the house, the smells of fresh baked food and goodies filtered in with them. Jeremiah and the kids brought in home-made baked potatoes and deviled-eggs, Stacy and her family brought in squash casserole and a vegetable platter, and mom brought in her home-made pumpkin pies, one for each of us to take and eat at our discretion.

As we were getting ready to sit down, a knock came from the door. 

"Must be Gerry and his wife, Tess," I answered, going toward the door.

Both of them were standing on the steps, Tess held another pie in her hands while Gerry held a large box in his.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" I greeted.

"Oh, thank you dear," Tess smiled, coming in and hugging me tightly.

I didn't know Gerry's wife well, but I always knew the two of them had once been high school sweethearts that had connected years after they graduated. Like me, Tess had been a loner for most of her life, focusing on her job and favorite activities which included watercolor painting. By the time they had gotten married, Tess was too old to have kids. Both agreed that they couldn't have a child in their lives, hence why they saw many of their coworkers' children as nieces and nephews for the longest time.

"Thank you again so much for inviting us," Tess smiled, "I brought a pecan pie as I wasn't sure what to bring."

"It's alright, Tess," I smiled taking the pie with my one hand, "Please, both of you come on in. We were about to sit down and enjoy some food."

"Before we do that," Gerry grinned mischievously, "I brought something that I think you'll be very interested in."

We moved from the table and entry way to the sitting room, all eyes on the large box Gerry still held in his hands. The animatronics had surrounded me as I sat in my recovery chair, the rest of the family following suit into the cushions on the couch and other chairs.

"Here Ster," Gerry handed me the box, "Consider this a belated birthday gift or an early Christmas gift."

"Thank you Gerry," I looked the box over, "Should I open it now?"

"I want you too, if you could?"

Funtime helped with opening the lid, my eyes bulging from my sockets as I gazed upon the gift.

"What is it, Ster?" Jeremiah asked.

I could feel my eyes burning as I slowly held up the animatronic arm. It was a deep silver color, the light shining off the plates as my family turned to Gerry in shock.

"Another friend of mine works with animatronics like you do," Gerry explained, "I told him about yer current situation and he offered to help make ya a robotic arm. All ya need to do is attach it to yer stub and the arm is able to work freely on it's own."

"Are you going to try out, Sterling?" I could see Funtime's eyes wide and filled with hope.

"I want to," I admitted, "I really do..."

"Well, go ahead," my father grinned.

Ballora took the arm from my good hand, taking her time to attach the appendage to my side. Funtime and Foxy both helped by blocking the view as we slipped the arm through the sleeve of my heavy sweater, locking it into place where it needed to be.

I watched as the animatronic hand clenched and unclenched, lifting it up above my head and slowly lowering it. Tears sprung as I looked toward Gerry, mouthing a 'Thank you.'

He nodded, the smile never fading as we all rejoined at the table, happy to see that we were once again whole and complete.


End file.
